NBA scout: Offseason on hold until Giannis situation is resolved

The NBA Finals may still be going on, but around the rest of the league, all eyes remain fixed on one man.

That, of course, is Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.

According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps, the sense around the NBA is that much of the offseason is essentially at a standstill until Milwaukee decides what it’s doing with its franchise cornerstone.

“It seems like everyone else’s business is on hold until we see what happens with Giannis,” one Eastern Conference scout told ESPN.

That’s not much of an exaggeration.

The NBA Draft is less than two weeks away, yet executives, scouts and rival front offices continue to wait for some sort of clarity from Milwaukee. Whether that clarity comes in the form of a blockbuster trade or another commitment to build around Antetokounmpo remains anyone’s guess.

What’s different this time is that the Bucks appear more willing than ever to at least explore their options. ESPN reported that Milwaukee has shown a new level of motivation to find a deal, though that doesn’t necessarily mean one is coming.

The challenge, of course, is finding a package that actually makes sense.

This isn’t a normal superstar situation. The Bucks have limited draft assets, dead money on the books and little margin for error. That could make proven players more appealing than a collection of future picks.

As Windhorst and Bontemps noted, much still depends on Antetokounmpo himself. The two-time MVP has never publicly pushed for a trade or attempted to steer himself toward a preferred destination.

If that changes, teams such as Miami could benefit. If it doesn’t, the bidding could become far more competitive.

Either way, the league continues to wait. And until Milwaukee finally makes its call, just about everything else may remain on pause.